Thelymitra apiculata, commonly called Cleopatra's needles,[2] is a species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae and endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single erect, curved, dark green leaf with a purplish base and up to twelve purplish flowers with darker blotches and golden yellow edges. There are two yellow arms on the sides of the column, each ending with a needle-like point.
| Cleopatra's needles | |
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| Thelymitra apiculata | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Diurideae |
| Genus: | Thelymitra |
| Species: | T. apiculata
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| Binomial name | |
| Thelymitra apiculata | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Description
editThelymitra apiculata is a tuberous, perennial herb with an erect, channelled, dark green, linear to lance-shaped leaf 40–80 mm (2–3 in) long and 7–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide with a purplish base. Between two and twelve glossy, bright purple to pinkish purple flowers with darker spots and golden yellow edges, 25–30 mm (0.98–1.2 in) wide are borne on a flowering stem 200–350 mm (8–10 in) tall. The sepals and petals are 12–17 mm (0.5–0.7 in) long and 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide. The column is a similar colour to the petals, 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and about 2 mm (0.08 in) wide with a cluster of small finger-like glands on its back. There are two erect yellow arms on the sides of the column, each ending in a needle-like point. Flowering occurs from late May to July.[2][3][4][5]
Taxonomy and naming
editCleopatra's needles was first formally described in 1984 by Alex George from a specimen collected near Badgingarra and given the name Thelymitra variegata var. apiculata. The description was published in Nuytsia.[6] In 1989 David Jones and Mark Clements raised the variety to species status as T. apiculata.[7] The specific epithet (apiculata) is a Latin word meaning "small pointed",[8] referring to the short, needle-like tip of the column arms.[3]
Distribution and habitat
editThelymitra apiculata grows with low shrubs on top of low lateritic hills in the Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions.[3][2][4][9]
Conservation
editThelymitra apiculata is classified as "Priority Four" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife,[9] meaning that is rare or near threatened.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b "Thelymitra apiculata". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- ^ a b c Jones, David L. (2006). A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 254. ISBN 1877069124.
- ^ a b c Brown, Andrew; Dundas, Pat; Dixon, Kingsley; Hopper, Stephen (2008). Orchids of Western Australia. Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. p. 424. ISBN 9780980296457.
- ^ a b Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 308. ISBN 9780646562322.
- ^ Jeanes, Jeffrey A. (2009). "Resolution of the Thelymitra variegata (Orchidaceae) complex of southern Australia and New Zealand" (PDF). Muelleria. 27 (2): 163–164. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- ^ "Thelymitra variegata var. apiculata". APNI. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- ^ "Thelymitra apiculata". APNI. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- ^ Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 95.
- ^ a b "Thelymitra apiculata". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 9 June 2018.